Cold Pressed Organic Flaxseed Oil – The Best Type of Oil

You may well be aware of flaxseed oil, so the fact that some of it is "cold pressed and organic," offers the question, what is the difference. That is what I asked myself anyway so I went in search of the answers to that.

The Organic Element

This part is simple enough to understand in that the actual flax which produces the seeds has been organically grown. Typically this will make it more expensive. The good news is that no fertilisers or soil additives are used in the production of this type of flax. This is exactly the same as any type of organic growth or organic farming.

The Cold Pressed Element

When oil is to be produced from any seed, the producers typically use various degrees of heat in the process. Their main reason for doing this is that it can substantially increase the amount of oil, that is extractable from the seeds. The problem with doing that is that it also reduces the overall quality of the oil, in terms of taste and also in the nutrition levels.

When an oil is produced using the "cold pressed" technique, then not as much oil is produced, but it is of a very high standard. It will taste better and have a higher nutritional value. From this it would be safe to deduce that "cold pressed organic flaxseed oil," is a much better option to purchase than the standard oil so commonly seen on the supermarket shelves.

The video below gives you an idea of how the pressing process actually works. Now this one is done on a small scale but in the factories where the organic flaxseeds would be pressed, this would be on a much larger scale. Nevertheless this will give you an indication of the theory behind cold pressing.

I also found this video and this one concentrates on the importance of the temperature. The video focuses more on the actual machine, but the important thing to understand is the temperature ranges for the cold pressing of oils. Have a quick look at the video first and then I will explain the temperature part in more detail.

Types of Oil Pressing

There are three various types of oil pressing:

Hexane extraction - used for many conventional oils - A boiling method using hexane as a solvent

Expeller Pressing - mechanical but chemical free method of pressing

Cold Pressing - mechanical pressing with strict temperature controls

Best Temperatures for Cold Pressing Organic Flaxseed Oil

We now know that the best oils are produced when they are cold pressed. The definition of "cold pressing" according to various health organisations is that the temperature can not rise above 120 Degrees Fahrenheit or 49 Degrees Celsius. If it does the definition can not be used.

Many different oils are produced using this method such as sunflower, peanut and the better olive oils.

The machines used to produce the oils are typically large stainless steel presses and these are replacing the older granite type millstones, as they are easier to maintain and much cleaner.

So as you can see there is a significant difference between the types of flaxseed oil pressing. The cold pressed variant will be more expensive as it is under more strict control, and that makes it more difficult to mass produce. As a result you will pay more, but for that, you get a much higher quality of oil, with a better aroma, flavour and more nutrient packed.

Types of Cold Pressed Flaxseed Products

I have shown a typical product below so as you can see what it actually looks like.

This particular one contains 200 soft gels of natural cold pressed flaxseed oil. As you may already know these will contain both omega-3 and omega-6. It makes it an ideal supplement for vegetarians. It also gets very good reviews and people have claimed it has helped reduce their cholesterol, detoxify the body and reduce the blood pressure. I should point out here that this one is not organic but claims to be natural. I am not quite sure what that means, but I thought you should know. As you can also see it is more expensive than oil that is not cold pressed.

Now the one below is both organically made and also cold pressed.

This one is from a company called Wonder Labs. In this one you get 250 capsules and is also about $5 cheaper. I have yet to see a better price anywhere for this type of high quality product. You can click here to read further reviews.

Hopefully you now have a much better understanding of why organic and cold pressed flaxseed oil is so much better than the standard. I hope you found it helpful and informative.